Ekedeshik caves

Cave town Ekedeshik that from Turkmen means “one opening” is a unique ancient town, located in the oasis Tagta-Bazar. The cave has the status of State historical and architectural reserve. The huge cave complex has one enter that provided the inaccessibility.The excavations proved that people lived here in the caves from the I century B.C. The cave itself consists of two floors. On the lower floors the unique nature system of waterways collected water from underground sources, and on the upper floors there were dwellings, kitchen rooms, halls and even something like the altar (44 rooms in all). According to the construction of these buildings inside the cave one can refer them to the 14-15 centuries. The houses in the cave are dug out, any building material was used. Shelves used for the decoration of the house were done in the walls of the buildings. The scientists think that a lot of families lived in the cave. There is a proposal that Ekedeshik served as a monastery. The fact that more or less vast cave complexes were used in Central Asia like monasteries points to it. The monasteries were usually Buddhist and sometimes Christian.It is unknown, who and when created the cave town. Stories and local legends tell that Alexander the Great relates to it. Another legend tells that gins worked on it.Today the archeological excavations are hold in the caves. The excavations might discover the origin of this construction.